


Nightmare

by MysticMoonlight_04



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 10:27:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21297944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticMoonlight_04/pseuds/MysticMoonlight_04
Summary: Alucard can never catch a break.
Kudos: 22





	Nightmare

Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard were resting at a small camp that they had set up for the night. Chasing after Dracula’s Castle was exhausting, and they all needed to eat and rest. The three of them were sitting on the ground around a small fire that Sypha had built, and they had eaten some dried meat that Trevor had packed for the trip. 

Trevor and Sypha were chatting amongst themselves, Alucard only slightly active in their conversation. He wasn’t normally the talkative type, but now he was just tired. He was struggling to keep his eyes open, but he had managed to do so for this long already. 

“Sleep, Alucard,” Sypha said when she noticed Alucard’s exhausted expression. “Trevor and I can keep watch. Besides, you’ve been taking the night shift this entire time. Let us keep watch tonight.”

“Sypha, I can take the night shift tonight, it is no prob—” Alucard said, but Sypha interrupted him.

“Hush. Get some rest. No more arguing.”

Alucard sighed, and Trevor noticed that a worried, or—he dare think—a _scared _expression showed in Alucard’s features. He knew that Alucard was reluctant to sleep, which was probably why he always took the night shift. But tonight, it seemed like Alucard was _afraid _to sleep. Trevor tried to wrap his mind around that thought, wondering what Alucard could possibly be afraid of. 

“Good night, then,” Alucard said as he lay down on the ground a few feet away from the fire. 

“Good night, Alucard,” Sypha said. 

A few minutes later, Alucard’s breathing evened out, indicating that he was asleep. He was lying on his back with his sword by his side, ready for an attack at any given moment. 

“Did you see that?” Trevor whispered quietly to Sypha.

“See what?” Sypha asked, a confused look on her face.

“Alucard,” said Trevor. “It was as if he was..._afraid _to fall asleep.”

“Hmm. I don’t know, Trevor,” Sypha responded. “I’m sure he’s just stressed about this whole situation. And you know what helps with stress? Sleep. He’ll be fine in the morning.”

“If you say so,” said Trevor.

Sypha quieted the fire with her ice powers and lay down to rest. Trevor lay down beside her, and they drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

***

Trevor woke to the sound of what sounded like whimpering. He rolled over carefully, as to not wake Sypha in doing so. It was still dark out, and Trevor sat up groggily, looking for the source of the noise. The sound was pitiful and heartbreaking, and Trevor’s eyes scanned the surrounding area for the culprit. His eyes finally rested on Alucard’s sleeping form, but he could hardly call it sleeping. Alucard was stirring in his sleep, whimpering as he did so. His breaths were coming in strangled gasps as he tried to anchor himself to something, anything. Trevor realized with horror that tears were streaming down the vampire’s face. 

“What is it?” Sypha asked as she, too, awoke and sat up. 

“It’s..._Alucard,”_ Trevor said. “What’s the matter with him?”

Sypha looked at Trevor in confusion and scooted over to look at Alucard. Her confusion immediately turned to worry.

“No...no!” Alucard muttered, still trapped in his nightmare.

“We need to wake him up!” Sypha said.

Trevor went over to Alucard and shook him. “Alucard. Alucard!”

Alucard jerked up into a sitting position, gasping as he did so. His tears continued to fall, and he looked around wildly, trying to figure out what was happening.

“Alucard?” Sypha asked. “Are you all right?”

“No,” Alucard said. “No, no, no, no, no, my mother. She needed me, a-and I just _stood _there and watched her _burn_ to death. I watched her burn. I was there, I could have done something, but I did not, and now she is dead. My mother is dead because of me. My mother is dead...b-because of _me! _I...I cannot—”

Alucard suddenly broke down and sobbed. He kept gasping for air. He couldn’t breathe. His entire body was shaking and he was unable to control himself. He had never felt such despair and hopelessness upon remembering his mother, or after having a nightmare. 

“Alucard?” Sypha asked gently, worry laced into her features. She tried to comfort Alucard, but to no avail. 

Alucard continued to gasp and sob.

“Can you help him?” Trevor asked, with the slightest amount of worry present on his face.

“I can try,” Sypha said. “Alucard, you need to breathe. You’ll feel better once your catch your breath.”

Alucard appeared to be trying to take in air, but his sobs interfered and he started panicking, worrying that he would suffocate.

“He’s panicking,” Trevor observed. “He’s having a panic attack, you need to get him to breathe or he will pass out.”

“Oh my God...” Sypha said. “Alucard! I know you can hear me, just breathe with me, okay? In. Out. In. Out.” 

Sypha demonstrated how she wanted Alucard to breathe. Alucard tried to inhale and exhale as she did, but he was struggling as he did so. It was as if he had never breathed before in his life. After a moment though, Alucard was finally able to catch his breath and calm his breathing. His tears slowed, but did not stop.

“Are you okay now, Alucard?” Sypha asked gently.

“No, I-I am not okay,” Alucard said. “I will _never_ be okay. I was there that night, and I allowed her to die.”

“No, Alucard,” Sypha reassured. “It was just a dream. A nightmare. You did not let your mother die that night. There was nothing you could have done about it—”

“Yes, there was!” Alucard cried. “I should have been there for her! She needed me! My mother needed me!” 

Alucard continued to sob, and Sypha held him tight, pulling him into her warm embrace. She couldn't imagine the amount of sadness that corrupted Alucard's being. It was terrible for him to have to live like this every day, locking his emotions away deep inside so he could stay strong for the people who needed him now. Alucard hardly ever broke. Only when everyone else was relaxed and at peace, could he let his emotions out, and he would suffer while everyone else was all right. It wasn't right, but it was how things were, and Sypha needed to be there for Alucard when Alucard needed someone to comfort him, though he would never admit it. So Sypha held Alucard with a death grip, never wanting him to feel like he was slipping away. He needed an anchor right now, and Sypha was there to act as one for him. 

The tears continued to fall. Alucard took in small gasps of air between dying sobs. Sypha ran her right hand down and through Alucard's long pale-blonde hair for comfort, and her left arm was wrapped around his back in a tight embrace. Trevor stood by awkwardly, not really knowing what to do in this situation, but concern in his face nonetheless. He finally knelt beside the two on the ground, and he placed a hand on Alucard's shoulder.

“You will be okay, Alucard,” he said gently. “Despite what you may think.”

Even though Alucard's face was buried in Sypha's robes and he didn't acknowledge Trevor, Trevor knew that Alucard had heard him, and that was all that mattered. 

After a few more moments, the sobbing calmed down to whimpers, and then to silence. Alucard's breathing steadied, and Sypha looked up at Trevor, both knowing that Alucard had cried himself to sleep. 

“No wonder he was afraid to sleep,” Trevor said. “It's killing him inside.”

“Isn't it terrible?” Sypha asked. “He has to fear for his sanity every single night. Nobody should _ever_ have to go through what he goes through. He is drowning in sorrow and guilt.”

A single tear of sad sympathy ran down Sypha's cheek. She felt deeply sorry for Alucard. He definitely deserved better. Trevor noticed and sighed.

“Which is why...” Trevor paused, looking for the right words. “Why we need to be there for him.” 

Sypha nodded. “Alucard is going to be okay...”

Trevor and Sypha remained in the grass, Alucard asleep in Sypha's arms. She didn't mind though. They sat in silence, sitting protectively around him, both knowing that they would be there for Alucard, if it was the last thing that they did. 


End file.
